Jobs training is now more important than in any point in history, thanks to increasing demand for skilled workers in the region.

Employers in the region will add more than 7,500 new middle-skill jobs by 2019, according to a report released this week by the Workforce Intelligence Network.

These new skilled jobs come at the behest of low-skilled jobs that require no post-secondary training or education, the report said. The number of jobs that require no post-secondary training will drop by more than 18,000, while 37 percent of total jobs growth comes in the middle-skill category.

Comparatively, 38 percent of new jobs growth will require a bachelor’s degree or higher.

“Employer demand remains strong, with middle-skill jobs paving the way to a bright future with higher education and even more lucrative employment,” Lisa Katz, executive director of WIN, said in a news release. “Projections show that over the next five years there will be no aggregate growth in employment for jobs that solely require a high school diploma or less, establishing a clear need for additional training and/or education after high school to be a competitive worker in today’s job market.”

Detroit, Troy, Southfield, Ann Arbor and Flint are among the cities with the greatest middle-skill worker demand, according to the report.

n 2014, the greatest need was for truck drivers with 10,429 job postings. Computer support specialists came in second with 3,535 postings. Other in-demand jobs included medical records technicians, Web developers, laboratory technicians and nurses, among others.

“Generally speaking, there is substantial unmet demand for trained workers to fill growing middle-skill positions,” the report said. “For workers in entry-level retail and hospitality jobs, or for job seekers looking for a leg up into a more lucrative career, training for a middle-skill occupation might be a ticket to family-sustaining wages.”

Source : DUSTIN WALSH